Demand Investigation Into ICE Impersonation of Police Officers

I am writing to demand immediate action to investigate and prevent federal immigration agents from impersonating local law enforcement officers to gain unlawful entry into private residences. The arrest of Columbia University student Elmina Aghayeva on Thursday morning represents a dangerous escalation of tactics that undermine the rule of law and public safety. According to Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, ICE agents impersonated NYPD officers with fake badges and a phony missing persons bulletin for a five year old girl to deceive campus housing security and gain entry to Aghayeva's apartment. This deception violates fundamental legal protections that require proper warrants and honest identification by law enforcement. Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed that ICE agents did not have the proper warrant and lied to gain access to the student's private residence. When federal agents can falsely claim to be local police investigating a missing child, they erode public trust in all law enforcement. Residents who believe they are helping find a missing child or assisting their local police department are instead being manipulated into waiving their constitutional rights. This tactic makes communities less safe because people will hesitate to open their doors to legitimate police officers during actual emergencies. The Department of Homeland Security denied the impersonation allegations, but the conflicting accounts from multiple elected officials and witnesses demand an independent investigation. If ICE agents did misrepresent themselves, those responsible must face consequences. If they did not, the facts must be established clearly to restore public confidence. I urge you to support legislation that would ban ICE from entering sensitive locations like schools and dormitories without proper judicial warrants, as Governor Hochul has proposed. Additionally, I request that you call for an independent investigation into the tactics used during Aghayeva's arrest. No federal agency should operate above the law or use deception to circumvent constitutional protections that apply to all residents.